Circular loom



April 18, 1939. J. JABQULEY 2,154,903

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Dec 27, 1937 JDIQMWB AQBMA E Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR LOOM ration of Delaware Application December 27, 1937, Serial No. 181,782 In Great Britain January 13, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in circular looms, and has particular reference to the detection of shedding faults in such looms. If by any reason a number of threads of one warp sheet fail to pass to the appropriate side of the shuttle in a circular loom, a weft float results which, if undetected, causes faulty fabric to be woven.

According to the present invention, faulty shedding is detected by means of a finger mounted in the shuttle and urged, e. g. by a spring, into contact with a warp sheet. When by reason of faulty shedding a number of warp threads are missing from that sheet, the finger is free to move under the spring action to carry a toothed member connected with the finger into contact with the threads of the other warp sheet. The teeth on the member are thus engaged by the threads of the other warp sheet, and the relative circular motion existing between the shuttle and the warp threads with respect to the loom axis causes the other warp sheet to move the toothed member towards the rear of the shuttle. This rearward motion is utilised to actuate a stop mechanism which may conveniently be of the type in which a member movably mounted in the shuttle is carried through one warp sheet to actuate outside the warp shed a switch or other element to control the stop mechanism proper.

Conveniently, the detector finger is directly pivoted on the movable member in the shuttle, as, for example, on a rod connected to or carrying a feeler at the front of the shuttle adapted to detect jammed warps, or the finger may be carried on the feeler itself. The detection of a shedding fault thus causes the finger and the movable rod to move rearwardly to actuate the stop mechanism, this arrangement enabling a single stop mechanism to bring weaving to an end when either jams or floats occur.

In order to detect faulty shedding in either warp sheet, the detector finger is duplicated, each member being spring-urged towards its appropriate sheet. Each finger may have its own spring, or a single spring may be used connecting the two fingers in such a manner as to cause them to spread into contact with the two warp sheets.

By way of example a form of apparatus according to the invention, incorporated in a shuttle provided with a warp thread jam-detector of the type described in U. S. Patent No. 1,968,041,.wi1l now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing of which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the shuttle;

Fig. 2 is a plan of part of the shuttle viewed along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing part of the apparatus in a different position.

Referring to the drawing a shuttle I is pro- 5 vided with a jam-detector 2 which is supported in the shuttle by two wings 3 and 4 connected to an upright member 5. The member 5 is attached to a rod 6 which is slidably supported in bearings I and 8. A link 9 is pivotally attached 1 at its lower extremity to the rod 5, and is also pivotally attached at its upper extremity to a member I 0 which is slotted to allow of free movement of the member 5. Attached to the member 5 is a spring II which is hooked round the link 9 15 for the purpose of urging the jam-detector 2 forwardly away from the front of the shuttle.

As explained in the prior patent jamming of the Warp threads causes the jam-detector 2 to be pushed towards the shuttle against the pressure in the spring II, such movement of the detector urging the rod 6 rearwardly so that its free end passes through a warp sheet and brings about the operation of means for bringing weaving to an end. 25

The rod 6 is provided with a vertical pivot I2 for two detector fingers I3 disposed one above the other beneath the weft spool I4, the two fingers and their pivot resembling a pair of scissors. Each finger extends forwardly and rearwardly of the pivot I2, the rearward extensions forming smooth curved portions I5 which are urged by a spring I6 outwardly against the insides of the warp sheets I'I, I8 on which the portions I5 slide.

The forward extensions 20 of the fingers I3 are 35 also curved and are formed with saw-teeth 2I along their sides which face the warp sheets II, I8. So long as the warp sheets remain complete, the contact of the respective sheets with the corresponding portions I5 of thedetector fingers keeps the teeth 2I clear of the opposing warp sheet, as shown in Fig. 2.

When, however, a gap in either warp sheet occurs, the corresponding portion I 5 of the finger I3 is no longer restrained, and rotates about the 45 pivot I2 and into the gap (indicated at I9 in Fig.

3) under the pressure of the spring I6. The rotation of the finger brings the teeth 2| of the portion 20 into engagement with the inner side of the opposing warp sheet (I I in Fig. 3) where theteeth 2| engage the threads of the sheet.

By reason of the relative motion between the warp sheet I! and the shuttle I the engagement of the warp threads by the teeth 2| causes a rearward pressure to be transmitted to the pivot 5 l2 which thereupon propels the rod 6 and the jam-detector 2 rearwardly of the shuttle, the rod carrying with it the detector fingers 13. In this manner the end of the rod 6 is caused to pass through the warp sheet I! and intoengagement with the arm 22 of a switch 23.

The arm 22 is rotated by the rod 6 and thus separates a pair of contacts 24 which control the driving mechanism of the loom, and on being separated, bring the loom quickly to rest to enable the thread failure to be rectified. The switch 23 may conveniently be of the type described in U. S. Patent 2,129,736.

The teeth 2| of the forward extensions 20 of the fingers I3 are formed with smooth edges in order to avoid damaging the warp threads with which they contact.

The invention may be applied to looms in which the shuttles rotate about the loom axis while the warp threads are held stationary or looms in which the warp threads rotate while the shuttles are either held stationary or caused to rotate in the opposite direction.

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A circular loom shuttle comprising a detector finger mounted in a shuttle, means to urge the finger into contact with a sheet of a warp shed in which the shuttle lies, so as to detect warp threads missing from that sheet, and a serrated member connected With the finger and adapted to be moved by detecting movement of the finger into engagement with the threads forming the other sheet of the warp shed and by such engagement to be carried towards the rear of the shuttle to operate stop mechanism.

2. Circular loom shuttle comprising a pivot, a detector finger on the pivot extending rearwardly and forwardly of the pivot, a spring urging the rearward portion against one warp sheet, the forward portion lying within and alongside the other warp sheet, serrations on the forward portion facing the warps of that sheet and a member movable towards the rear of the shuttle and carrying the pivot for the detector finger, so that when the finger finds warps missing from one sheet the spring urges the serrations into engagement with the other warp sheet to cause the warps of that sheet to carry the member on which the detector finger is mounted towards the rear of the shuttle to operate stop mechanism.

3. Circular loom shuttle comprising a pivot, two detector fingers on the pivot, each extending rearwardly and forwardly of the pivot, a spring urging the rearward portions apart towards the two warp sheets, the forward portions lying Within and alongside the respective warp sheet opposite the one against which its rearward portion is urged, serrations on the forward portions facing the warps, and a member movable towards the rear of the shuttle and carrying the pivot for the detector fingers, so that when either detector finger finds warps missing from the sheet against which it is pressed, a slight movement of the serrations on the forward portion of that finger brings the serrations into engagement with the other warp sheet and causes the warps of that sheet to carry the member on which the detector fingers are mounted towards the rear of the shuttle to operate stop mechanism.

J OANNY J ABOULEY. 

